1. The Catholic Clergy The “Regular” (MONKS and MONASTERIES)
Learning Targets:
Who made up the two types (regular and secular) of Catholic Clergy?
What political, social and religious roles did they play in medieval Europe?
The “Regular” (MONKS and MONASTERIES)
The “Secular” (Priests that deal with normal folks)

2. What kind of rules? St. Benedict – Roman noble.
Who Came Up With The Idea of Monasteries??
St. Benedict – Roman noble.
Left Rome in early 500’s to lead a life of prayer.
Established a monastery in central Italy.
First person to set up a system of rules to organize the monastic community.
Why“Regular” Clergy?
“Regula” means rules in Latin.
What kind of rules?
Monks could own nothing of their own!
Several hours must be spent everyday for prayer.
Monks had to spend several hours everyday working.

3. Benedictine Monestary, Ettal, Germany

5. Monasteries as centers for learning
Monks were often the scholars during Medieval times.
Monastery libraries were the main preservers of literature from ancient civilizations and of the early church.

6. Monastery library, Waldsassen, Germany

7. Vatican library

8. Gregor Mendel – Early Geneticist, Biologist

9. What About the “Secular” Clergy?
Some had WEALTH AND POWER!
How did they get so powerful?
The Church was given land by nobles and kings
They wanted to save their souls!
Church officials (bishops), became nobles themselves.
They were the LORDS who controlled the manor.
In this way church officials could tell people how to get to heaven (spiritual power)
and also control feudal lands (political power).

10. The most land was held by the POPE!

11. Pope as “Supreme Ruler”
In the Papal States the Pope was both the spiritual leader and the highest political leader.
The church decreed that all monarchs (Kings) should obey the pope.
Some Kings might have had a problem with that!
All Christians were told to obey the civil law, unless it conflicted with church law.
Video

12. Areas within the Holy Roman Empire controlled by the Catholic Church
In these areas, the bishop was the feudal lord.